One of the most controversial topics today in politics is what to do about illegal immigration in the United States. Should we consider all of the illegal immigrants felons? Should we give them full citizenship rights? These are all important questions related to illegal immigration. In 1986, the Immigration Reform and Control Act made it illegal for employers to knowingly hire undocumented workers and imposed fines of up to $11,000 for each violation. Recently, the United States House of Representatives passed a bill, entitled H.R. 4437 (The Border Protection, Antiterrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Act of 2005). Just recently, due to massive overpopulation, the problem of illegal immigration is really starting to be taken seriously in our nation's capital. There is one thing that all sides of the debate agree on: that America needs to get tougher about controlling our country's borders. Up to 12 million people are living illegally in the United States today. This number is growing rapidly and is quickly overpopulating our own backyards. For these reasons, I believe that we should back this Act and should hope that the Senate will also agree. Act H.R. 4437 would take many drastic measures in trying to slow down illegal immigration. Some of the main points of this Act include building a 700 mile wall/fence along the U.S./Mexican border, take custody of illegal aliens detained by local authorities in hopes of eliminating catch and release, and also enforcing more strict laws on employers of who employ illegal immigrants. In the past weeks, there has been much debate over what to do with the illegal immigrants that are already in the country. There are already revisions underway and I agree with what they are trying to d... ... middle of paper ... ...re, they won't have any reason to come. The next few weeks are crucial in determining what to do with all of the illegal immigrants already here and what to do to help protect our borders. Without any change at all, our country will be in bad shape in the near future. We must take action and put a stop to all of this illegal immigration once and for all. WORKS CITED Cullen, Lisa. "What It Means For Your Wallet". Time. April 10, 2006. Off of NewsBank Espo, David. AP Special Correspondent. Congress Nears Deal on Illegal Immigrants. Yahoo! News. April 6, 2006. "H.R. 4437". From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. April 6, 2006 Kang, Stephanie. Sanders, Peter. "Off the job, Onto the streets." The Wall Street Journal. April 11, 2006. Tumullty, Karen. With reporting by Mike Allen. "Should They Stay or Should They Go?" Time. April 10, 2006. Off of NewsBank.
Currently, there are 11.7 million undocumented immigrants in the United States; 6 million of those immigrants are Mexican-born (Preston). Within that undocumented population are individuals who were brought to the States as children. These individuals have grown up in the American culture and consider themselves American, but struggle with being treated as second class citizens due to their undocumented status. On June fifteenth of 2012, the Obama Administration announced the executive order Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). This order will allow immigrants who were brought illegally to the U.S. as children to apply for work permits and avoid deportation (Hennessey and Bennett). President Obama’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals is not only beneficial to it applicants but also to the United States as a whole.
"Immigration Policy." Issues & Controversies. Facts On File News Services, 8 Apr. 2013. Web. 27 Mar. 2014. .
Pew Research Center. (2013). Most Say Illegal Immigrants Should Be Allowed to Stay, But Citizenship Is More Divisive. Retrieved from http://www.people-press.org/
The United States is known to have one of the most accepting immigration in the world. It has contributed to the country's population growth as well as social change. However, the policy remains to be a controversy because of the topic that is illegal immigration. According to the Department of Homeland security in 2010, there are 10.8 million illegal immigrants residing among the 300+ million Americans. Since then, the number has grown to 11+ million people. The U.S. Congress has always sought to find the solution for illegal immigration, with amnesty being an option. If enacted, an amnesty will give unauthorized immigrants a path to legalization and eventually citizenship. The Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 (IRCA) is a prime instance of amnesty, with some 2.7 million people gaining legal status during the Reagan office. With the immigration policy being contested in Congress, a solution to illegal immigration via amnesty should be considered as it may benefit the country's labor force and economy, control the influx of immigrants in the country, and provide the opportunity for the currently illegal immigrants to become productive members of America.
Immigration has always been a hot topic in America. There are many pros and cons, which makes it a delicate issue when it comes to debates. In an attempt to reform immigration, President Obama has issued an executive order that will overhaul the nation’s immigration system as we know it. The president’s changes will affect nearly 11 million undocumented immigrants who are currently residing in America. Focusing on 4 main changes, Obamas’ plan focuses on many aspects from enhancing border security to developing new processes in which workers can enter the country.
For over ten years, efforts to make changes to the United States immigration system have been put aside due to wars, attacks within our homeland and even worldwide financial crisis but it seems as though this being brought up more and more often. The history of the US immigration policy was more concerned with immigration enforcement over immigration reform. It was not until a few years ago that the US citizens voted they were tired of enforcement-only immigration policies and the pain they caused on immigrant families. So most feel now is the time to draw up new immigration laws that reflect American values and beliefs, and it ne...
This passed in the senate, but did not pass in the house. It proposed the following for undocumented (illegal) immigrants: 1. after 10 years they could apply for “legal permanent residence” 2. They would have to pay back taxes and 2,00 fine 3. They would have to know English in order to pass English test 4. Pass background checks 5. They would have to have lived and worked in this country continuously. I think they are making this proposal very tedious because they want these illegal immigrants to work hard to earn a spot. Also, I think some people would not start this process because they have to waited too long. An example is waiting 10 years to apply for legal permanent resident. THAT’S A LONG PROCESS. Paying back taxes is understandable but it may take some a long time to pay that money back. The second part to the proposal is for people trying to get visas (legal immigrants): 1. Merit-based point system- allow you to be at the head of the list 2. More vias would go to high skilled people especially in STEM fields and fewer would go to the family member of people already here. I think the merit based system will be very helpful because it will give them a boost in the process. I do not understand why they would want to give more vias to high skilled people, when most of them are coming to the country for their education and then go back to their country. They
California is one of the United States’ largest producers of agricultural goods. As a result, there has always been a demand for more labor to meet the quantity demanded. In order to fill the demand for labor, workers from Mexico or other countries south of the United States border crossed the border into California illegally, hoping to find work. In other cases, citizens from other countries will apply for visas in the United States and then overstay their visas. These workers become undocumented migrant workers, roaming from farm to farm, hoping that they can make enough money to send home. Farmers hire these workers and pay them illegally with cash. A recent report by Leon F. Bouvier states that “Since 1979, legal immigrants have averaged 566,000 a year; newly arrived refugees approved have averaged 135,000; and the "settled" illegal immigrant population may be growing by up to half a million a year. Many illegal immigrants entered the United States legally and then overstayed their visas, and there has also been a sharp increase in illegal border crossings from Mexico and Central America.” (Bouvier 3) There are also many extraneous costs that come with hiring undocumented migrant workers. There must be increased border control, more workers to enforce U.S. policy, and new legislature that must be introduced to offset the increasing illegal immigrant population within California. These immigrants are not legal residents or citizens of the United States; instead, they are illegally working and living in California, earning wages that are far below the standard legal minimum wage.
Jordan, Miriam. “Latest immigration wave: retreat: an illegal worker realizes dram, briefly; fewer are sneaking in.” Current 507 (November 2008): 27-29. Academic OneFile. Web. 21 March 2011.
Vaughan, Jessica M. “Aliens Who Overstay Their Visas Are a Serious Security Threat.” Opposing Viewpoints: Immigration. Eds. David M. Haugen, Susan Musser and Kacy Lovelace. Farmington Hills, MI: Greenhaven Press, 2009. 182-193. Print.
A major issue that is always brought up at political debates is the issue of immigration. “Many Americans think the U.S. immigration system is urgently in need of reform” (Lee). The current immigration policy has started to decrease the number of illegals in America. As of right now, we currently have 20,000 Border Patrol Agents deployed along the borders (Lee). Although the number of illegals being deported is at an all-time high, Americans are still very concer...
The harsh bills approved are not only against the illegal immigration but also, can have many negative impacts on the legal immigrants. (Ejera, 3) The bill would tighten the borders and also, lead to the deportation of illegal immigrants who commit crimes. But, it seems like that bill will affect the family immigration and also the legal immigrants to receive many public benefits. Many argue that these bills are not only attacking the illegal immigrants but also the rights of legal immigrants to be the part of the American society. The rights of the legal immigrants should be protected. Combatting with the problem of the undocumented immigrants should not jeopardize the dreams and rights of the legal immigrants.
With an estimated 11.7 million illegal immigrants in the U.S. today, immigration reform has been a volatile issue that hasn’t been adequately addressed throughout the 21st century. With the last major overhaul occurring in 1986, when over 3 million immigrants were granted U.S. citizenship, politicians are saying another major overhaul is needed to address the newer generation of illegal immigrants. Legislations including the Border Protection, Anti-terrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Act of 2005, the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2006, and the DREAM act of 2012 have all tried to address the depressing need for immigration reform but have failed due to lack of bipartisan support. Still, political leaders urge for immigration reform that is unlikely to pass with such divided political parties. Luckily, the solution was already passed in 1986 but hasn’t been sufficiently enforced for the past twenty years. In order to stop the flood of illegals crossing U.S. borders, the U.S. should enforce the law against hiring illegal immigrants.
Should Illegal Immigrants Have?. Ed. Lori Newman. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2006. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. Houston Community College. .28 Sep. 2011
The history of immigration has forced the United States into a predicament on how to treat immigration and change policies to establish a just system. The use of legislation and the rights of human beings, builds a strong foundation on how this matter should be addressed. Undocumented persons exist, but they should not be immediately escorted out and seen as criminals because of their desire for a better life. The Immigration Act of 1965 in correspondence with American Ideals and the DACA, proves that Migrants should be allowed the opportunity to work in the United States, if danger is an issue in their country.